Paid to Lie

The following exchange occured today in the WH press briefing. The context is that after two years of an investigation into who leaked the name of a CIA agent married to a US diplomat (Wilson), two reporters facing extended jail time for not revealing their sources (Cooper and Miller), and a boatload of denials from the WH, the culprit turns out to be none other than Turd Blossom himself, Karl Rove.

I actually feel bad for Scott McLellan. His job is to do one thing, and one thing only, disseminate favourable press for the Pres., White House and GOP (in that order). Part of that job means that he will have to lie through his teeth about things and take the heat for them later. In previous press conferences (when the media was far more aquiescent - not unlike dogs rolling over to get scratched), McLellan categorically denied that Rove had any involvement and further indicated that Bush and his staff were eager to get to the bottom of the leak and fire the person responsible.

Now that the leak turns out to be Rove (as part of a smear campaign against the diplomat Wilson for denying the existence of WMDs in Iraq and specifically the purchase of Uranium 'yellowcake') suddenly the WH is clamped shut.

Fire someone that close to the Pres? For breaching national security? I can't wait.

Q -- (Isn't true that you indicated as...) of September 29th, 2003, that it is simply not true that Karl Rove disclosed the identify of a CIA operative? Can you stand by that statement?

MR. McCLELLAN: John, I look forward to talking about this at some point, but it's not the appropriate time to talk about those questions while the investigation is continuing.

Q So should we take that as a yes or a no?

MR. McCLELLAN: Go ahead, Dick.

Poor Scotty. You could just see the guy start to sweat howitzer shells as the press got more aggresssive. Like George Stephanopolous before him (when he was asked about Lewinsky) It's the eventual fate of all spin doctors that they get caught telling a whopperwith cameras rolling.

And the cameras never blink.